"General Grant and the Fight to Remove Emperor Maximilian" Topic

…from Mexico

"Ulysses S. Grant's longstanding interest in Mexican affairs dated back to his service in the Mexican American War from 1846-48. During this time, Grant observed the culture and customs of Mexican society and admired its beautiful natural landscape while serving with the U.S. Army. During the American Civil War thirteen years later, Mexico found itself in a new fight for independence against France. After Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army of Northern Virginia in April 1865, General Grant turned his focus to Mexican affairs.

In the decades following its independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico's government faced a great deal of political instability and growing debts. These financial obligations became overwhelming, and the government stopped paying its debts to various European nations, including France, by the time the American Civil War broke out in 1861. French Emperor Napoleon III took advantage of the situation by attempting to create a French empire in Mexico. French troops mobilized for deployment to Mexico. During one French invasion on May 5, 1862, Mexican resistance fighters defeated the French at the Battle of Puebla, which is the inspiration for the popular Cinco de Mayo holiday in the United States. The French regrouped, however, and captured Mexico City. They installed an Austrian Hapsburg prince named Maximilian as Emperor of Mexico in 1864…"

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Armand

A lot of Union equipment was "stolen" from the banks of the Rio Grand and used by the Mexican resistance fighters,

As I recall almost the entire Army of the North was wearing Union army kit and armed with Civil War veteran Springfields

Oh, yes!

As someone wittier than I wrote decades ago, we wargamers were cheated out of almost the most colorful war imaginable on the North American Continent when the Army of the Potomac was denied its shot against the French Army and Imperialist forces when, "peace broke out" with Nappy III's retreat from Mexico.

More details of US private, and later Government, support for the Juarista's are covered in "Viva Juarez!" available via this link

An Unrepentant

TVAG

Thanks!

Armand